Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

China’s economic data is suspect

Derek Scissors

China has again announced fast growth with low inflation. And again, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) will be widely praised as a future, or even current, economic superpower. However, other facts have not changed, and in these instances stability is not a laudable goal.

Once more, there are inconsistencies in the most basic and prominent official Chinese data. To the extent official data are reflective, persistent imbalances within the economy are no smaller and may be worsening. The loan stimulus so effective in pushing the PRC past an economic rough patch has now faded. Growth, while still strong, is waning as the stimulus fades, highlighting another round of damage inflicted on the financial system.

High Court extends Chen detention by three more months

Taipei Times

The Taiwan High Court yesterday extended former president Chen Shui-bian’s (陳水扁) detention by three months on the grounds that he still represented a flight risk if he were released.

The Court yesterday afternoon conducted a hearing to decide whether to continue to detain Chen while the Supreme Court is in the process of reviewing his case.

Another sign of regression under Ma

Taipei Times Editorial

After US-based Freedom House published a report earlier this month that questioned the impact closer ties with China was having on Taiwan’s sovereignty, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lo Shu-lei (羅淑蕾) described the conclusions as “unfair.”

Addressing concerns over freedom of speech in Taiwan, Government Information Office Minister Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said the government would assess the findings and make improvements to ensure a better ranking in next year’s Freedom House report.

Ma is blind to roots of terror in Taiwan

Taiwan News Editorial

President and ruling rightist Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou displayed Thursday a dangerous blindness to the historical roots of the "White Terror" inflicted by the KMT on Taiwan during the nearly four decades of martial law rule that threatens to pave the way for a future tragedy.

Not including the over 10,000 Taiwanese who were killed by KMT troops during the Feb. 28th Massacre of 1947, over 29,400 political cases were unjustly tried in KMT military tribunals from the imposition of the martial law decree on May 19, 1949 to July 15, 1987, with several thousand executed and over 140,000 imprisoned.

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